Grand opening set for Kitchen and Bath Studio of Ponte Vedra
Sandra Ahearn, CKD (Certified Kitchen Designer) and Diana Otani, a Licensed Builder, have joined forces in a kitchen and bath remodeling venture headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach. The Kitchen and Bath Studio of Ponte Vedra, will be celebrating it's grand opening month at an open house from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at 5150 Palm Valley Road, Suite 207 in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Local eatery to become Cruiser's Grill
JACKSONVILLE -- Hand-made Restaurants, Inc, a Jacksonville based company, purchased the assets of The St. George Street Eatery, a local St. Augustine restaurant, located at 3 St. George St.

Owner expands Internet-based store
How's this for a twist? The owner of a successful Internet-based venture expands her business by opening up a retail store to sell the merchandise.

Naumann
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Naumann celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Oct. 2. Naumann and the former Barbara Brown exchanged vows Oct. 2, 1948, in Long Island, New York. Both are now retired.

Klinge
Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Klinge celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Oct. 18. The couple exchanged vows at "The Little Church Around The Corner" in Manhatten, New York on Oct. 18, 1958.

Lowe
Love is timeless and when love enters your life, it makes that timeless, too. Not the 'Diamonds Are Forever' kind of timeless, but timeless in the sense that you lose all sense of time.

Stevens - McNeal
Rachael Karen Stevens announces her engagement and approaching marriage to Kevin Charles McNeal. The brideelect is the daughter of Olin and Brenda Stevens, Columbus, Ohio, and the prospective bridegroom is the son of Richard and Patricia Smith, St. Augustine. Vows are set for
2 p.m. March 21, 2009.

Ernat - Capo
Janelle Marie Ernat and Robert Victor Capo Jr., both of St. Augustine, exchanged wedding vows during a 6 p.m. Sept. 26 ceremony performed by Flynn Bevill in his courtyard garden. He also hosted the reception that followed.

Day
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick E. Day celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Sept. 2. Day and the former Norma Warring exchanged vows on Sept. 2, 1958, in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

Flagler College holds concert
The newly formed Trio Florida, the first faculty ensemble in residence at the University of North Florida, will be featured in concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Flagler College.

SAR honors Beach police officer
The St. Augustine Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution recently honored St. Augustine Beach Police Officer Ed Martinez, presenting him with the SAR Law Enforcement Commendation Medal and Certificate. He was singled out for exceptional performance of duty for the year of 2007-08.

Woman's Exchange names new board
The grounds of the historic Pena Peck House gardens served as the setting for the announcement of new officers and board members for the forthcoming service year. One mission of The Woman's Exchange of St. Augustine, a Florida Non-Profit corporation. founded in 1892 and a member of the national Federation of Woman's Exchanges, is to showcase the historic Pena Peck House, circa 1750 and 1837, on behalf of the city of St. Augustine.

Love
While neighboring Jacksonville has been named one of the worst cities for singles by Forbes.com, it is little wonder that the St. Augustine area is heralded as one of the best cities not only to meet a new love, but also to tie the knot.

Parents should be interested more than involved
Q: In a recent column, you had the audacity to say that parents should not be involved with their children. As you are certainly aware, this isn't what we parents are being encouraged, from every direction, to do. Can you elaborate and explain?

Think Pink
"Christmas in October -- Giving the Gift of Life," complete with pink tree and Santa hats, was the theme for Ultrasound Sonographers, whose staff participated in the M-Line campaign. The staff raised a little over $200 which was presented to First Coast News anchor Jeannie Blaylock for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The local collection, which was started nearly two weeks ago, was supported by both staff and patients. The staff also realized, it was noted that almost all have been affected by breast cancer in one way or another. Pictured left to right (starting from the bottom): Anna, LaWanda, Jennifer, Heather, Cindi, Paula, Roberta, Cheri, Libby, Kristine Rynn, PA, Jill, Lynn, Lou, Samantha, Cynthia, Mary, Karen, Melissa, Wendy, Laura, Kathy, Rebecca. Contributed photo

Navy league honors Michael Bellamy
Recently, members of St. Augustine Navy League Council attended an awards ceremony during a Family Day Picnic with the crew and their families of the USS Klakring at the Mayport Naval Station. Operations Specialist First Class Michael L. Bellamy was selected by the ship to receive Sailor of the Quarter awards.

News and notes from World Golf Village
WORLD GOLF VILLAGE SOCIAL COMMITTEE HAPPY HOUR WAS HELD AT SERENATA BEACH CLUB on Wednesday and as always the food was fabulous and the Serenata staff was outstanding. They take such good care of our group, we really look forward to our visits there.

Cruisers car show has vintage Buick
A century-old Buick -- a 1908 Model G -- will occupy the spotlight at the St Augustine Cruisers (SAC) Seventh Annual Car Show on Nov. 1 at the St Johns County Fairgrounds off State Road 207. Owned by SAC members Bob and Jinny Quackenbush, the ancient Buick, which has a two-cylinder engine producing 22 horsepower at 1200 rpm, was one of 200 built in 1908 with a price tag of $1,150. Many younger cars -- vintage and classic automobiles will be on display and in competition in 41 separate classes. The show is open to all makes, models and years.

Powell endorses Obama
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Barack Obama pushed further into John McCain's turf on Sunday, winning the endorsement of retired Gen. Colin Powell and energizing a crowd at a packed arena near Fort Bragg.

National Report
LOS ANGELES - A wildfire in northern Los Angeles that destroyed 15 homes has been surrounded. State and local fire officials announced Saturday that the San Fernando Valley blaze was completely contained. They could not say exactly when the nearly 30-square-mile fire would be out.

If Elected: How would McCain govern?
WASHINGTON -- A rabble-rouser from his earliest days, John McCain has never been one who likes to be told "no." There's no reason to think a President McCain would be any different.

Freddie Mac arranged stealth campaign against regulation
WASHINGTON -- Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.

If Elected: How would Obama govern?
WASHINGTON -- For all Barack Obama's talk about change, there are signs that in style -- if not substance -- a new White House under Democrat Obama would operate much like the current one under President Bush.

Powell nod may sway undecideds
WASHINGTON -- Political analysts generally discount the impact of endorsements on an election campaign -- especially one so late in the season as Colin Powell's Sunday of Barack Obama.

Candidates' tax plans under scrutiny
PHILADELPHIA -- In its final stages, the presidential campaign is increasingly focused on taxes, a perennial flashpoint between the two major parties.

High product prices will stick
Worries over a global recession have pushed the price of oil to its lowest in over a year. Don't expect the same for a bottle of beer, a tube of toothpaste, or a box of cereal.

Crowd of 100,000 sees Obama
ST. LOUIS -- Democrat Barack Obama drew his largest U.S. crowd to date on Saturday -- an estimated 100,000 people who came to hear him speak at the Gateway Arch -- as he campaigned in battleground Missouri just 17 days ahead of the election.

Abducted boy returned to father
LAS VEGAS -- As abruptly as he was taken, Cole Puffinburger reappeared. What happened to the youngster in between is still a mystery.

U.S. will host economic summit
WASHINGTON -- President Bush joined the leaders of France and the European Commission Saturday to announce that the United States would host a global summit before the end of the year to address the world's burgeoning economic crisis.

What do candidates plan for your retirement savings?
WASHINGTON -- With consumers snapping their wallets shut, the Dow taking regular nosedives and the government shoring up much of the financial system, both presidential candidates this past week talked up their ideas for helping financially strapped workers and retirees get through an economic downturn. Their plans differ in several key respects, but they essentially make it easier to do one thing: draw down your retirement savings.

Added lanes to ease traffic woes on C.R. 210
St. Johns County plans to start work this month on building more exit lanes for Interstate 95 at County Road 210 so motorists won't be stuck in the breakdown lane while waiting to get off the highway.

Former state Rep. Gus Craig dies
A.H. "Gus" Craig Jr., a member of the Florida House of Representatives for 18 years and a former speaker pro tem, died early Saturday morning at his St. Augustine home. He was 88.

2 women injured in crash
Two St. Johns County women were seriously injured when they swerved their car to avoid hitting an animal on International Golf Parkway and hit a tree, Florida Highway Patrol said.

Poultry pursuit wows kids
ELKTON -- Standing with a group of children in a ring, a boy hunched over, one leg back like a track runner ready to take off, and stared down a chicken as if he hadn't had anything to eat in days.

Family closer to TV spot
A St. Augustine family has made it to the third round to compete for a spot on the ABC show "Wife Swap."

Marriage issue divisive
Amendment 2, dubbed the Marriage Protection Act, aims to permanently exclude any other type of marriage, union or domestic partnerships in Florida but those between one man and one woman.

State to developers: Please build trails
Prospective home buyers list "trails and greenways" as the leading amenity they seek when choosing a place to live -- before parks, community swimming pools, golf courses and interstate access.

Robert Edgar Scruggs
Robert Edgar Scruggs, 87, of St. Augustine, died Oct. 18, 2008, at his home. He was a born in Chesnee, S.C., and had resided in St. Augustine since the late 1970s, moving here from Puerto Rico.

George J. Dunnigan
George J. Dunnigan, 78, died October 18, 2008, at Flagler Hospital. He was born in White Plains, N.Y., grew up in Peekskill, N.Y. and was a longtime resident of Mount Kisco, N.Y., before moving to St. Augustine in 1986.

Catherine L. Hayes
Graveside memorial services for Catherine L. Hayes, who died Sept. 8, 2008 at Vicar's Landing, will be held 11:30 a.m. Tuesday Oct. 21, 2008 at the St. Augustine National Cemetery with the Rev. Seaumus O'Flynn, officiating.

Florence Eric Crawford
Florence Eric Crawford, wife of the late Mr. Eric Crawford, died peacefully at her home Oct. 18, 2008. She was 85 years old. Born in India, she had lived in St. Augustine since 2005. A loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she was devoted to her family and to the Lord, Jesus Christ. She exemplified Proverbs 31:10-31 all of her days. Survivors include her sons: Jiwan and Amar Crawford, and her three daughters: Lavina, Amita, and Vinita Singh. She was blessed with 11 grandchildren and a great-grandchild. A Memorial Service will be held at Craig Funeral Home Wednesday at 4 p.m. Burial will be in India.

Catherine L. Hayes
Graveside memorial services for Catherine L. Hayes, who died Sept. 8, 2008, at Vicar's Landing, will be held 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008, at the St. Augustine National Cemetery with the Rev. Seamus O'Flynn officiating.

Charlotte Stroud Kaye
Charlotte Stroud Kaye, 92, of St, Augustine, peacefully passed away on Oct. 3, 2008, in her home. She was a native of New Jersey and resided in St. Augustine since 1950. She performed on stage, screen and radio from the age of 3, commanding the role of Peggy, the little blond-haired girl in the "Our Gang" comedies, for a short time and later was a John Powers model in New York.

Nease hosting college fair
Nease IB 2008 college fair is scheduled for Thursday and will include workshops from 4:30 to 6 p.m. with college admission officers on an array of topics, a parent panel (experienced parents who have previously maneuvered through the college process) from 6 to 6:30 p.m., and the college fair from 6:45 to 8 p.m.

SJA Merit Semifinalist
St. Joseph Academy Student Andrew Carmedelle was chosen as one of 16,000 semifinalists in the 54th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Gamble students clean up the beach
Gamble Rogers Middle School students made a clean sweep of debris Sept. 20, when they helped with the Coastal Clean-Up. Their area was the Mary Street beach ramp, and the students, under the supervision of Kevin Gamble, PEAK team science teacher, collected 12 trash bags of refuse from the shoreline.

Presentation of Bands at SAHS
The St. Augustine High School Yellow Jacket Band will host the 16th annual Ancient city Presentation of Bands from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, ending with final competition for the top 10 bands beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Scholarships available
The St. Johns County Medical Alliance offers academic scholarships to St. Johns County high school seniors pursuing an education in pre-medicine, nursing or allied health.

Cheerleading can be risky
WASHINGTON -- Krista Parks was practicing with her cheerleading team when something went terribly wrong. Instead of flipping smoothly through the air and landing safely in the arms of a teammate, Parks plummeted 20 feet headfirst into the gym floor, fracturing three vertebrae in her neck.

FSDB program gets award of excellence
FSDB career education teacher Brett Sendler and the school's "Dragon Flowers" program were selected for the 2008 Award of Excellence by the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA).

St. Augustine native receives Bessie award
St. Augustine native and Florida School of the Arts alumnus Tom Pearson was recently honored for his contribution to "Vanishing Point," a collaborative work with Zach Morris. Pearson and Morris were among eight recipients of the 2008 Bessie Awards in the category for choreographers and creators.

'Sleepy Hollow' at SAHS
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Performing Arts Center of St. Augustine High School by the school's drama students. Admission is $5, $3 for those wearing a Halloween costume.

Concert series begins today in Julington Creek
National recording artist Peter Donnelly will be featured in a series of concerts in the First Coast area, beginning with a presentation at 4 p.m. today at 1783 Bishop Estates Road in Julington Creek. Admission is $20.

St. Joseph Student Honor
St. Joseph Academy senior Gabriella Mas has been recognized by the College Board as a 2008-09 National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar.

Flagler students recruit SJA volunteers
Flagler College students Tiffany Langello and Kayla Hrynyk helped Learn to Read of St. Johns County Inc. (LTR) set up a recruitment table at St. Joseph Academy High School's annual community service fair last month.

School Menu
The following are the menu listings for St. Johns County public school cafeterias for the week of Oct. 20. Students have a choice of one entree or two fruit and/or vegetable choices. Choice of milk is served with all complete meals.

Letter: Charter re-vote insults voters
Editor: Another charter government vote? Let me bring to light what is happening and why it is being represented this way. There are facts which are immune to denial. One is that the well-educated voters were petitioned to vote on charter government. Weighing the advantages and disadvantages they made an educated decision to decline it.

Letter: Anti-charter voters not misled
Editor: I am a 28-year resident of the county, 20 of which I resided in Ponte Vedra. I know and have worked alongside many of the drafters. I am familiar with extraordinary efforts of the "Round Table" and applaud their accomplishments and sincerity.

Letter: Create one government for whole county
Editor: The long-suffering taxpayers and residents of this county need to do themselves a favor. Reject the proposed charter. It intensifies the arbitrary power of an appointed county administrator and solidifies the dictatorial control of the Board of County Commissioners who appoint that administrator.

Letter: Still voting 'no' on charter
Editor: Once again, three of our county commissioners voted for a ballot referendum on the proposed County Charter. Since these commissioners have presented no new reasons to vote for the charter, I will vote against it.

84 percent say they'd never lie to a pollster
With an African-American running for president this year, there has been a lot of chatter about the "Bradley effect," allowing the media to wail about institutional racism in America.

Who gets to vote?
The 2008 presidential election may see the highest participation in U.S. history. Voter-registration organizations and local election boards have been overwhelmed by enthusiastic people eager to vote. But not everyone is happy about this blossoming of democracy.

Letter: Charter won't help local government
Editor: A charter replaces state authority over local government and outlines a county's powers, duties, and privileges. It is similar to a constitution for a specific county, allowing flexibility for local governments and reserving the rights of local citizens.

Letter: Charter deserves another vote
Editor: Thanks for the two articles on the charter on Oct. 5, by Clare Cowan and Bill Leary. The mailers from Citizens for Voter Education become more transparent in their limited presentation of the charter as something cooked up in Ponte Vedra, therefore no good for regular people of St. Johns. The opposite seems to be true. Are your taxes OK without the charter?

Bryant: Reject charter proposal again
As an outgoing county commissioner competing 12 years of service to the citizens of St. Johns County, I believe I can speak with a unique experience and vantage point of why the proposed Home Rule Charter should be rejected again by the voters.

Sanchez: Charter gives citizens representation
I appreciate the opportunity to address some concerns regarding the charter amendment on the November ballot. The majority vote by the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners to spend no more than $35,000 for informational purposes was in response to a negative and untrue campaign by a private group opposed to the charter.

Rich: Residents decide their future Nov. 4
On Nov. 4, you will be making a decision that I feel has the potential to change our lifestyles in a positive way for many generations in the future. You will decide who will control your destiny through charter government. Will it be you or them?

Police Report
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD).

Police Report
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD).

Local: Saints fall in soccer
Flagler College women's soccer goalkeeper Kaitlyn Goffe had six saves, but the Saints couldn't muster any offense in a 1-0 loss to Barry University on Saturday night.

Rays are in
ST. PETERSBURG -- Down to their last chance, the Tampa Bay Rays left no doubt they were World Series-worthy, after all.

Maguire leads at St. Aug Amateur
M.J. Maguire said he tries not to think of the fact that he's only 15 years old when competing in tournaments that include college players and older adults.

NBA: Magic beat Heat in Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE -- Dwight Howard scored 26 points, and the Orlando Magic used a second-quarter run to build a big lead Saturday night before holding off the Miami Heat, 100-92 for their fourth consecutive preseason victory.

Cameron changes sides
MIAMI -- Now that Cam Cameron has switched sides, the Baltimore Ravens figure he can help them beat the Miami Dolphins.

New-look Falcons finally take flight
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- There's the youthful-looking general manager, who could pass for a ballboy with his spiked hair and faint attempts at growing a mustache.

High School Regional Golf Capsules
A glance at region tournaments for high school golf teams. The top two teams from regionals (and the top two individuals not on those teams) advance to the state championship.

Meester's return comes at perfect time
JACKSONVILLE -- Jaguars center Brad Meester stood in front of his locker, still sweating from his first full practice in nearly two months, when teammate Khalif Barnes sneaked up from behind and smashed shaving cream in his face.

Golf: Turnesa completes wire-to-wire sweep
LAS VEGAS -- Marc Turnesa completed a wire-to-wire victory for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 on Sunday to hold off Matt Kuchar by a stroke in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Local Watch 2
The Saint Augustine Sertoma Club will hold a beach dodgeball tournament on Oct. 26 at the St. Augustine Pier.

Bengals have new QB, for now
CINCINNATI -- In his two starts for the Cincinnati Bengals, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played more like the backup he's been since he arrived in town.

Sucher survives St. Augustine Amateur
Zach Sucher won the St. Augustine Amateur Sunday mainly because he avoided the disasters that melted away his competition, one-by-one, on the back nine of the St. Johns Golf Club.

Cameron, Ravens defeat Dolphins
MIAMI -- With one hand Cam Cameron held a clipboard, and with the other he waved a jubilant fist. As the Baltimore Ravens' offense trotted off the field following its final score, he greeted players with handshakes, hugs and slaps on the backside.

Hopkins proves Pavlik, doubters wrong
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- After thoroughly confusing and dominating previously unbeaten Kelly Pavlik, Bernard Hopkins walked to the edge of the ring and stared at some of his detractors in the media.

Is Johnson unbeatable in Chase?
MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Martinsville Speedway is the place where Jimmie Johnson started his four-race winning streak a year ago on his way to his second consecutive championship.

Golf: Turnesa stays hot at PGA's Shriners
LAS VEGAS -- Marc Turnesa topped the leaderboard for the third straight day in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, shooting a 3-under 69 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over three players. The PGA Tour rookie had a 21-under 195 total at TPC Summerlin.

NFL: Cowboys continue to struggle
ST. LOUIS -- Even on the road, the chorus of "Romo!, Romo!" from Dallas Cowboys' fans was easily audible at the start of the second half.

Study: Airport screener badges need close tracking
WASHINGTON -- The government has not been able to keep track of all the airport security uniforms and badges it issues, which makes secure areas in airports vulnerable to terrorists posing as authorized officials, according to an internal review released Friday.

Buenos Aires: Steak & Tango on a budget
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Argentina's capital Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan city best experienced through its monumental passions rather than its monuments.

Briefs
"Leaf season" around Traverse City, Mich., generally folds up by the end of October, but the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau is extending its "Fab Fall Package" from now until Dec. 11.

Travel Tips
Travelers lugging laptop computers worry about losing them, with good reason. The hardware is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, and lost or stolen data could be priceless.

Taliban bus attack kills 30
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Taliban militants stopped a bus traveling on Afghanistan's main highway through a dangerous part of the south, seized about 50 people on board and killed about 30 of them, officials said Sunday.

World Report
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's army says it has killed at least 60 militants in an offensive against insurgents in the country's northwest.

Shiite bloc delays U.S.-Iraq pact
BAGHDAD -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling Shiite coalition withheld support Sunday for the proposed security pact that would keep U.S. troops here for three more years, dealing a setback to American hopes of a speedy approval of the agreement.

Thousands rally against U.S-Iraq troop deal
BAGHDAD -- Tens of thousands of Iraqis rallied in the streets of Baghdad Saturday against a proposed American-Iraqi deal that would allow U.S. troops to stay in the country for three more years.

China to help build 2 nuclear plants
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan said China will help build two more nuclear power plants in the energy-starved Muslim nation, tightening its bonds with Beijing as rising militant violence strains its anti-terror alliance with the United States.

30 militants killed in Pakistan clash
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani forces killed at least 30 militants near the Afghan border, as the region's provincial chief called for "peaceful dialogue" in a meeting with a U.S. State Department official.

Mexico to decriminalize some drugs
MEXICO CITY -- Mexico has absorbed shocking drug-related slayings in recent weeks, including a popular mayor gunned down and criminals throwing grenades into a packed Independence Day celebration.